Vehicles such as sport-utility vehicles, light-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks commonly include a spare tire carrier coupled and/or mounted to a rear end (e.g., a rear bumper, a tail light section, a tailgate, etc.) of the vehicle. The spare tire carrier carries a full-size spare tire that is removably coupled to and/or mounted on the spare tire carrier. The full-size spare tire may be removed from the spare tire carrier, for example, in connection with replacing a flat and/or otherwise damaged tire that may be mounted to an axle of the vehicle. The full-size spare tire may have a weight exceeding one hundred pounds, and the wheel center of the full-size spare tire may be at a fixed height of more than two feet above the ground when the full-size spare tire is coupled to the spare tire carrier.